egberts



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. P. ROBERTS.

(No Model.)

ROCKING CHAIR.

No. 360,729. Patented Apr. 5, 1887.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. P. ROBERTS.

ROCKING CHAIR.

No. 360,729. Patented Apr. 5, 1887.

N. PETERS, Fbnlo-Lnmgnwhar. Washingfiuu. D11

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICECI HENRY I. ROBERTS, OF JAMESTOIVN, NE'W YORK, ASSIGNOR 'IO RUFUS P. SHEARMAN AND ADDISON P. SHEARMAN, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

ROCKING-CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 360,729, dated April 5, 1837.

Applicaiii n filed May 252, 1886. Serial No. 203,009. (No model.)

.To (125 whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1', HENRY P. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States, residing at J amestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York,,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rocking-Chairs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciro fication, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rockingchair embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the same converted into a reclining-chair with the back lowered and the seat rolled forward. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail showing one of the guide-tracks and pulleys on the inside of the rocker-frame. Fig. 4 is a detail of the seat-frame, showing its guide-tracks and rollers. Fig. 5 is a detail of the pawl for holding the seat in its adjusted position.

My invention relates to rocking-chairs in which a rolling seat and adjustable back hinged to said seat are employed to convert said rockingchair into a reclining-chair, and my invention consists in the peculiar construction and combination of elements, which I shall hereinafter fully describe and specifically claim.

To enable others skilled in the art to make go and use my invention, I will now describe a preferred construction and indicate the manner in which the same is carried out.

In the said drawings, A represents a rocking-chair frame of any well-known design or construction. This frame has secured to its inner sides suitable track-irons, B, and guiderollers C, as shown in Fig. 3, which are designed to support and guide the movements of a rolling seat, as I shall now describe.

The seat D may be of the usual construction, except that it has secured to its side portions suitable track-irons, E, and guide-rollers F, a shown in Fig. at.

Itwill be observed that the guide-rollers G are 5 located near the. front of the rocker-frame A,

while the rollers on the seat-frame are placed at the rear, whereby the latter rollers engage and rest upon the tracks B, thereby supporting the rear end of the seat, while the former 5o rollers, F, are engaged by and support the tracks Eand forward end of said seat, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2.

The back G of the chair is a movable back, and is hinged or otherwise connected with the rear end of the seat-frame, and is also connected to the side portions of the rocker-frame A by links H, loosely pivoted to said frame A and to the back at points between the hinged and outer end of the same. From the description of these features it will be readily observed that when it is desired to convert the rocking-chair illustrated in Fig. 1 to a reclining-chair, such as is shown in Fig. 2, a slight'pressure upon the upper end of the back will cause the lower end of said back to move inward. At the same time the links H will describe arcs of circles, of which the pivots a are the centers. Thus the inclination of the back is not only changed, but said back is also lowered to keep the seat, to which said back is connected, in its proper approximatelyhorizontal position. As the back is lowered, its inner end causes the seat to move upon its tracks and to roll from the position shown in Fig. l to the position illustrated in Fig. 2, or to any point between these two adjustments.

In order that the seat and back may be held after the desired adjustment has been obtained, I form one of the tracks E with notches or a ratchet-face, b, and pivotally secure to the inside of the chair-frame A, atthe point d, apawl, J, the outer or free end of which engages the ratchetface of the track and prevents the seat from further forward movement, although readily permitting the said seat to be returned to its normal position.

By reference to Fig. 8, itwill be observed that the tracks B are inclined downwardly toward the rear, so as to hold the seat-frame at such an angle to the horizontal that the movement of a person (using the chair in its reclining position) in changing from a reclining to an upright posture, will cause the seat to autoinatieally roll backward to its normal position, at the same time bringing the back to its proper position and dispensing with springs or equivalent means for returning the seat after it has been rolled forward.

I am thus enabled to provide a simple, ef

fective, and durable rocking-chair, and one that may be readily and automatically converted into a reclining-chair, at the same time without detracting from the usual movements of said chair.

I am aware that a barbers chair has been provided with a pivoted back and a stationary seat-frame having anti-friction rollers mounted therein, said rollers furnishing a bearing for a sliding seat, the back and seat, when the chair is not in a reclining position, being locked together by a spring-bolt.

I am also aware that I am not the first to combine in a chair a seat-frame sliding back and forth in a horizontal plane, and a vibrat ing back hinged at its lower end to said seatframe and secured by pivot-connections tothe main frame of the chair. I am further aware that it is not broadly new to hold said seat in its adjusted position. These features I therefore do not broadly claim as my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

An improved chair comprising the combination of the frame A, having secured to its inner sides the tracks 13 and rollers O, a seat having secured to its sides the tracks E, one of which is rateheted or serrated, and the rollers F, at the rear of the seat engaging the tracks B of the frame, a back hinged to the seat and connected with the frame A by the loosely-pivoted links H, and a pawl, J, pivoted to the inside of the chair-frame and engaging the serrated face of the track E, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as herein described.

HENRY 1 ROBERTS.

W'i tn esses:

E. GREEN, .Tr., irms 0. BENEDICT. 

